This invention relates to a new and improved adjustable pillow support for the shoulders, neck and head of a user. The pillow support is designed to enable the user to purposefully adjust the pillow and attached components to the particular body size required, and enable the shoulders, neck and head of the user to be maintained in a reasonably aligned manner, when the user is lying on the back or side. The pillow also self adjusts when the user is asleep to apply adequate neck support on a change of sleep position from the side to the back. This in turn reduces stiffness, aching, discomfort, and chronic muscle strain.
Various support devices for a user's shoulders, neck and head have been proposed, and typical prior art devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,648,308; 4,320,543; 4,393,530; 4,432,107; 4,550,459; 4,754,513; 4,829,614; 4,803,743; and, 4,821,255. None of these prior art devices provide a support which may be purposefully adjusted by moving it along the pillow to conform to the user's size. Also, none of these prior art devices are adapted to provide a self adjusting neck support for the user based on the user's weight and body size. Moreover, none of these support devices are self adjustable based on changes of the user's position when asleep , not only in terms of general positioning, but also in terms of vertically accommodating to the alignment of the neck and shoulders. Consequently, a need exists for an adjustable pillow support which can accommodate to a variety of user sizes and sleep positions without requiring too great a diverse inventory.
Preferably, such a device should be inexpensive, easy to manufacture and repair, and should require little or no training to use. Also, it would be helpful if the device were aesthetically pleasant to view, and did not stand out significantly from associated furniture.